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Ref No SAIC/23
25 May 45
Source does not know whether Japanese aggressive measures which led to
the declaration orwar were coordinated with German efforts, but he believes
that they were.
•
8. DETAILS : CONCERNING HITLER
Source eaw HITLER last 28 Mar 45, before being placed in FUEHRERRESERVE.
At that timethejUEHRER was suffering from nervous attacks, and his left -
arm and leg *ere' shaking strongly, HITLER was also still suffering from
bruises On his right arm and from the injured right ear drum, results of the
20 July atteMpt on his life. HITLER'tlked clearly and in a precise manner,
and was wel1 informed' about the last details of the military situation at
that tiMej.„.
Source ,, that after riel to power in 33, HITLER worked in the
inteeSi6"and to the good of the Ge:,.man people.' The following events source'
thiri passab1e,44 . notentirely Pcorrect u . This refers to the increase Cf--
the:GerMahArMythe_:OCcupation of the Rhineland, the Saar plebiscite and
the 'anneXat'iOn'_ef 1 A4Stria and the Sudetenland. German annexation of the
remainder O 'fZ,echoSlovakia and of Poland did not find source's approval.'
HITLER, sotirCe .states, was able to convince everybody that his decisions
were iiklittliedUghlits personal charm throughout the war. Field . Marshal-
KEITEL I.,, whom Aomrce does . not consider very clever, was particularly'suCcePt
ible toHITLER i bargUments
.1 •
., The German General Staff raised objections as
to various cOAtempl:afed operations, but HITLER had his . successes to back
him , x1p,andrepeatedly accused his generalsof a lack of imagination.
SCurcp: -Sia-fei0hat'the'General Staff did not like the idea of attacking
Poland '1,i09 1 '.1,but that the generals finally agreed to attack knowing that
theycouidno.t -r. e .S'ist':HITLER's wishes,
••• •
9.:-THE,EVACUATIONAT pUNURK
_ . •
Source' claims he 'was not allowed to enter the Port of DUNKIRK. with his
tanks,TheBritish.:forces there were to be destroyed. by the GAF. alone. .111.he
Airc.Force;:thowever• . lailed in this task, and the British, evacuation at
DUNKIRK was thus made:possible. Source believes that, given permission to
enter DUNKIRK, he could have annihilated all troops assembled there.
10, NORMANDY INVASION
•
While a.number of mistakes were made in the 'German preparations for an
Allied invasion of France, the factor mainly responsible for Allied successes
was.the;failure of the GAF! At the time of the invasion the GAF was
still'atthe . `leveLofi.1940, with no new-type planes.. The lack of air-superiority
led. to•%the complete breakdown of the German net of communications,
Other failures were the neglect to modernize the SIEGFRIED Line, the neglect
to fortify cities.like PARIS, LIEGE, ANTWERP, and the wrong distribution of
armor. Source claims that the sole responsibility for all these errors lies
with HITLER alone who neglected to follow advice given by the General Staff.
It was HITLER who decided that the Atlantic Wall was strong enough to withstand
all attacks. Commanders of tank units opposing Gen PATTON were unable
-,:o'use -theirinitiative l , but had to follow HITLER's own plans. Source'
%hinks -he cold have stopped Gen PATTON in France, had he been left free to
employ hisOWn-strategy.
2.1. NOTES: ON-THEJIUSSIAN ATTACK OF FALL 44.
• After.source had'been appointed Chief of Staff, German Ground Forces,
he tried to work out a plan to stop the Russian advances. He found conditions
similar to those prevailing in the WEST, namely that important placea
Lad 'not been fortified.
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